If You Wanna Stay
by Amazon-Orithia
Summary: What if the comlink rings ceremony didn’t go as it did? (I guess that makes it AU, right?)... Emma & Brennan and Emma & Adam (not romantic).. please R&R.. CHAPTER 8 is up..FINALLY!
1. Go if you wanna go, stay if you wanna st

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction and of this chapter are  from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song as well.

* * * * *

Chapter 1

'Go if you wanna go, stay if you wanna stay…'

Stepping forward, Shalimar Fox and Jesse Kilmartin presented them with small silver boxes. After looking at each other, Emma DeLauro and Brennan Mulwray reached for them and found themselves facing a choice that would change their lives forever. Both knew what accepting these rings represented. 

Looking again at the brunette who stood beside him, Brennan understood his destiny was linked to hers, no matter what happened. It all started in that nightclub when he briefly saw life through her beautiful eyes.  Fate had brought her to him… not once, twice. And then she had saved his life by helping the Mutant X team locate him at Genomex. Brennan realized all too well that if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't be offered this chance to make something good out of his life. But above everything else, he wasn't ready to let her run out of his life once again. With a smile, he slipped the ring on his finger and looked down at his hand as the ring glowed briefly with the promise of a new future. A future where Miss De Lauro would be at his side every day.

Emma remained still, looking at the ring she held. Thinking about the past few days since she literally ran into Brennan at the nightclub, she put it back in the small velvet box then closed it. The sharp noise startled everyone and made Brennan look up.

"Emma, what are you doing? " he asked, confusion in his eyes. He could have sworn this was what she wanted, to be part of this team. Had he read her wrong? And if so, was everything he thought he knew about her wrong as well?

"I'm sorry, I can't." 

Emma handed the box back to Shalimar and turned around to leave. Adam took one step, reaching for the young woman.

"Emma, wait." 

"Adam, the other day you said I could start a new life, with a new identity.  Let me know when transportation is arranged, will you?"

With a sigh, Adam dropped his hand to his side.

"If that's what you want, Emma."

"Thank you" replied Emma, leaving the room without looking back. If she had, the look in Brennan's eyes would have probably made her think twice. 

* * * * * 

Shalimar spun around, her eyes flashing gold. She already felt very protective toward the younger woman and couldn't believe just what Adam had just agreed to do.

"Adam, you can't let her go! You know that Eckhart will not stop until the GSA get their filthy hands on her", she yelled.

"Not to mention what you told us earlier about what could happen if they get her to misuse her powers", added Jesse.

"I know", sighed Adam, closing his eyes. 'Emma, why?' he thought. Without another word, Adam went to the lab, closing the door behind him and leaving the three young mutants wondering what to do next. 

* * * * * 

Fighting back the tears in her eyes, Emma entered the room that was hers. 'That should have been mine', Emma corrected herself. She had managed to keep herself together in front of the others and now it took her all her strength to not throw herself on the bed and cry her soul out. Deciding she needed to keep busy, she walked to the dresser and opened the top drawer. She took out the few clothes and personal belongings it contained and put them on the bed.

'It's better this way', she tried to convince herself as she took out her bag from the closet.

She would have brought them nothing but worries in the end, no matter what Adam and the others thoughts. Her face softened at the thought of Adam.  He had been nothing but nice and caring to her, never demanding and always patient, even when time was running out for them to find Brennan and the other new mutants held by the GSA. Emma felt that Adam could have taught her so much, not just about her new powers. And now, she was betraying him.

"No, I never made any promise to Adam", she said out loud, shaking her head. "He'll understand and soon they'll find someone else for the team. Someone who won't turn out to be the weakest link."

No longer able to hold them back, tears went flowing down her cheeks as she faced the reason why she couldn't accept Adam's offer. She was scared; scared she never would be able to pull her weight in this team and that in the end it could get someone hurt. Someone like Brennan… 


	2. I never wanna be the one who kept you fr...

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction and of this chapter are  from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song as well.

* * * * *

Chapter 2

'I never wanna be the one who kept you from being free…'

A few minutes passed in an awkward silence after Adam went into the lab. Jesse looked at Shalimar who was slowly calming down, her feral side retreating. Jesse knew better than to talk to her or touch her when she was in this state of mind, so he turned to Brennan. 

"Well… huh Brennan, I didn't have the chance to thank you for the warning look the other day."

Still looking in the direction where Emma had disappeared, Brennan barely heard his new teammate's words.

"Uh?.. oh..don't mention it", he said. Turning his gaze to Jesse, he saw the extended hand and gave it a solid shake. "You would have done the same if it had been the other way around."

Jesse grinned. "Not sure about that."

"Yeah, right", replied Brennan.

Both men stared at each other for a second then laughed.

"Come on, let's get you settled in", said Jesse. "Shal, you're coming?"

"You guys go ahead, I need to talk to Adam", Shalimar answered as she started walking toward the lab. "I'll see you two later. And oh Jesse?"

"Yeah?"

"Try not to burn our dinner this time", she added in a warning tone.

"What? It's your turn to.."

But Shalimar was already gone. Rolling his eyes, Jesse motioned for Brennan to follow him. "Ferals! Always finding a way to sneak around chores.." he mumbled under his breath. 

If Brennan hadn't been wrapped up in his thoughts, he probably would have laughed him. No matter how he turned the whole scene around, he just couldn't understand Emma's decision.  'Emma.. why? What made you change your mind, why are you running away?' he thought. 

"..away from me.."  he whispered sadly.

"What did you say?" asked Jesse, looking at him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Nothing ", quickly replied Brennan. "Man this place is huge!" he added as they turned a corner.

* * * * * 

As she entered the lab, Shalimar noticed how dark it was in there. There were no lights at all except for the soft glow coming from the laptop on the desk. But darkness didn't bother Shalimar. In fact, she liked the night better as it allowed her feral DNA to roam more freely.  Seeing everything as clear as she would have during daylight, Shalimar quietly walked to man sitting at the desk with his head in his hands. 

"Adam", she said in a soft voice, touching his shoulder lightly." Adam, I'm sorry I snapped out."

Lifting his head, Adam looked at his protégé and smiled weakly. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

Half sitting herself on the desk in front of him, Shalimar looked straight into his eyes. "No, that's your department and right now you are worried about Emma and what will happen to her in the undergrounds." 

Looking quickly at the laptop screen, Adam nodded. "I just thought she'd be safer here. At least I would have been able to.." He stopped and sighed heavily.

"You would have been able to what, Adam?", asked Shalimar. "Keep an eye on her? Make up for the past? Protect her from herself?  You know you can't erase what happened nearly 20 years ago, you can't change her past and you can't change yours. But you can change both your futures by telling her the truth."

Adam shook his head. "I can't do that, she has to make the decision on her own free will. And she has. I have no choice but to respect it, as much as it hurts me to see her leave, to send her away…. again."

"She deserves the truth, Adam", insisted Shalimar.

"I can't, Shalimar, I simply can't", he whispered, staring at the two DNA models on the screen.

* * * * * 

Jesse didn't like it at all. All the tension he could feel in the dining area was making him want to get up and go somewhere he would be alone. Like at his computer. Dinner used to be a special time for the three of them. Adam would come out of his lab, thinking over some problems or formulas. Shal would drive him nuts, trying to ruin his recipe if it was his turn to cook or if it was her turn she'd hide the dishware and would pretend to be mad at him for not getting things ready in time. Adam would tell them to quit acting like children and they'd all burst out laughing. Yes, dinner was always a special time for them, it was the time they really felt like a family.

That was before the whole Emma and Brennan thing happened. Tonight was the first time in days that they all could sit down to have a normal meal together, but nothing was normal.  For a start it wasn't just the three of them now at the low table.  Sitting beside him was Brennan who had barely touched his meal, lost in his thoughts.   In front of him was Shalimar, eating in silence, which definitely wasn't like her at all. Sitting next to her, Emma kept her head bowed. She had not looked at them once since she and Adam had joined them moments ago. Jesse had noticed she had been crying and he couldn't understand the young telempath. 

'Why has she been crying, it was her decision to leave, nobody asked her to', he wondered.

Finally, presiding the table was the man Jesse looked up to the most in life. Adam's eyes would look at each of the young people around the table then go back to Emma, as if he had something to tell them all but couldn't because of her. No, things were defiantly not like they used to be. 'They were so much simpler with just the three of us', thought Jesse.

As if she had heard his last thought, Emma suddenly stood up and left the room.  Jesse cursed himself. 'Shit, I forgot about her powers!' He didn't know where to look and wished once again he'd be somewhere else right now, anywhere but at this table.

* * * * 

Almost running back to her room, Emma couldn't help but agree with Jesse's thought. Things were so much simpler before, especially for her.

"Well they won't need to worry about me messing their perfect life any more than I already have", she said angrily as she practically slammed the door. "Tomorrow I'll be out of here and.." 

Her eyes weld up with tears. 

"… and I'll never see him again", she finished in a whisper. 

* * * *

The sound of the door slamming echoed throughout the Sanctuary. Rubbing his eyes as if they burnt, Adam rose abruptly from the table. 

"If anyone needs me I'll be in the lab."

Three pairs of eyes followed him in silence then looked at each other. 

"Geez, he sure is taking Emma's decision hard", commented Jesse.

Pushing her plate aside, Shal leaned back and looked at the young man with narrowing eyes.

"If you were in his place you'd react the same way, Jess", she said, carefully choosing her words.

"Well it's not as if she was the only telempath out there you know." 

"Exactly."

"What do you mean?", asked Jesse as he felt there was something his friend wasn't telling him.

"Well, remember Sheila?", Shalimar asked.

"Yeah, and?"

Brennan cleared his throat. "If you two want me to leave, just say it."

After a quick glance in direction of the lab as if to be certain Adam had left the room, Shalimar wondered if she had better not mention this in front of Brennan. 'Oh whatever', she thought, 'he'll soon find out anyways if he's to be part of this team.'

"No it's okay, Bren. You see, about a year ago Adam located a new mutant, a telempath just like Emma. Her name was Sheila Jackson and he asked us to bring her here. Things went smoothly and all was fine until we found out she wasn't who Adam thought she was."

As she explained all this, Jesse's eyes widened with realization.

"Shal, you don't mean that Emma.." 

Shalimar nodded.

"What? Emma what?", asked Brennan who was beginning to worry. "Look, I may be the new guy here but if Emma is in trouble… "

"Brennan, calm down. Emma is fine", said Shalimar. Taking a deep breath, she prayed that  she wasn't making a mistake.


	3. Baby tryin' to figure you out could make...

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction and of this chapter are  from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song as well.

* * * * *

Chapter 3

'Baby tryin' to figure you out could make a man go insane…'

Shaking his head to clear his mind from the confusion Shalimar's revelations had created, Brennan walked into his bedroom. 

'What a mess!', he thought, removing his shirt and throwing it on the bed. Thinking a shower would help him sort throughout the day's events, he stepped into the adjacent bathroom.

As he turned on the water and stripped from his clothes, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. It seems like within the past few days his life went into a whirlwind, making him lose any control he ever had on deciding what he'll do next.  In a matter of hours, he went from being a small crook/car thief to being chased through town by a bunch of crazy GSA maniacs wanting to control his power. Then he was rescued by another bunch of crazy people, this time wanting him to join them in their fight against the GSA. And now, this curious twist of fate revealed by Shalimar… No wonder  he felt so stressed out.

Ignoring the hot water running down his body, Brennan remembered the frightened look on Emma's face when she had asked him to help her, back at the club that first night. What would he give to be able to go back in time, to pull her in his arms and never let go, keeping her safe from any harm. He knew he probably wouldn't have been of much help anyway, not knowing how easily the GSA agents had captured him. But the thought of holding her close to his heart when she needed someone made him feel less guilty somehow.

Why had she refused to become a member of Mutant X? It still didn't make any sense to him; all he knew was that he had to talk to her, to try and convince her to stay.   It had taken him years to find her. The one who made his world stop and turn at the same time. The one who turned night into day and day into night. The one who shook his life with one single stare, who made everything right and wrong at the same time.  

'This is ridiculous', he thought, turning his face toward the water. 'One moment I'm living my life quietly, without asking anything to anyone and the next, I can't get her out of my mind. If it hadn't been for her, I would probably have refused to join Mutant X anyway. Being the hero of the day just ain't my style. But if I want to keep her in my life, I thought joining them was the only way. And now..'

His mind made up, Brennan turned off the water. "I hope it's not too late", he said.

* * * * *

Tossing and turning, Emma couldn't manage to find sleep. 'This is ridiculous, tomorrow I'll be far from here and it will all be a bad dream', she thought as she once again re-arranged the pillow under her head before lying down to stare at the ceiling. 

"Well maybe not all of it", she whispered remembering the dark eyed man whose image kept creeping back into her mind. Stubborn and proud, with this incredible grinning smile… 

"Oh snap out of it, Em!" she scolded herself.

* * * * *

Restless, Adam kept pacing his lab back and forth. Maybe he should have listened to Shalimar, maybe he should have told Emma the truth. But how could he do that? How  could he find the words needed to make her understand his reasons? And how could he ever make it up to her ?

Running his hand through his hair, Adam went back to look once again at the DNA models on his monitor. There was no mistake this time.. besides, he didn't need them to know, one look at those blue eyes had already confirmed it the minute he first saw her. Emma, the unknown reason why Mutant X was created in the first place.  And now she was leaving in the morning… leaving him just has he had left her so many years ago.

* * * * * 

Brennan paused, unsure if he could do it. Shalimar had told him that Emma couldn't read minds, just feel emotions. As long as he kept Adam's secret in the far back of his mind and didn't let his feelings about it take over him, she wouldn't know. 'It would be much simpler if he just told her', he thought. Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, he knocked lightly at the door. 

"Emma?", he called softly. "Emma it's me, Brennan.  Can I talk to you?"

He heard her move inside the room and tried not to smile at the though of her getting out of bed. Suddenly, the door opened and he was somewhat disappointed: she was fully dressed. 

"Yeah, I didn't have time to pack my negligés', she said sarcastically. 

"Uh.. sorry.. say, can I talk to you?" he replied, embarrassed.

Emma stepped aside to let him in then closed the door behind him. 

"Look, if you are here to try and talk me out of leaving, you're wasting your time", she told him as she walked to the bed and sat down.

'Damn, she's good..', he thought.  Brennan sat down beside her and looked at his hands, not knowing where to start.

"Look Emma, you can't just quit like this.."

"Quit? Quit what?", exclaimed Emma. "I never joined in the first place, so there is nothing for me to quit."

Brennan turned to her. "Oh no? Then why were you there today at the Genomex complex?" , he asked her.

Emma didn't reply, refusing to look back at him. She wasn't a fool, she wasn't gonna tell him the only reason was a foolish wish that he could care for her the same way she did for him.  Seeing she wouldn't give him an answer, he decided to try something else.

"And what about Adam and the others? They helped you when you were in troubles", he asked her. 

"So, what about them?"

"Well, don't you think it's a little unfair for you to treat them like this? Adam seems to think very highly of you", he added carefully.

Emma froze.  There was something different, a slight change in her reading of Brennan's emotions as he mentioned Adam for the second time this evening. 'He's hiding something from me… but what? Oh I wish I could control those powers!', she thought.

"Unfair?", she exploded, facing to him. "Unfair? And what about turning my life upside down, how unfair is that? I never asked for all of this, for.. for them to turn me into a freak and then come and ask my help! Besides, I don't owe them anything anymore, I helped them get you and the others out of Genomex, didn't I? We're even, I want my life back now."

Hearing Emma's words, Brennan felt as though his life was being shattered into a million of pieces. He cursed himself for being a fool.

"So, that's why you were there today? So you could repay your debt to them?", he asked her in a whisper.

As he spoke, Emma realized what she had just said. And the look on Brennan's face echoed the pain that was shouting to her.

"Oh Brennan, no… I'm sorry, it's not what I meant, not like this..I.. ". She stopped, unable to find the words. 

Brennan sighed.  This was getting them no where. Kneeling down in front of her, he took her hands in his and look deep into her eyes. 

"Then why Emma? Why are you leaving?" 

Emma felt her heart melt. There was such an intensity, an honest need to know in his eyes. 

"I can't do it, Bren.  I'm no super hero, I wouldn't even know what to do", she told him. "I can't fight. I can't even control my power, I wouldn't be of much help. You guys would be better off without me."

Brennan smiled. Was that it? Was she scared she'd failed them? He squeezed her hands gently.

"It's okay to be scared, Emma", he told her gently. "But you wouldn't be on your own, we'd all be there. Me, Shalimar, Jesse, Adam.. We'd all be there with you, to help you. Adam said that you've only started to tap into your powers and in time that you'd learn how to control them."

There it was again, that strange shift in his emotions she was feeling. And just like before it happened when he mentioned Adam. What was going on?

She shook her head. "Maybe but until then, there's no telling what can happen. I don't have Shalimar's strength in fights, or Jesse's abilities, or yours. All I can do is send pretty pictures in someone else's mind and even that I can't do when I get stressed. You saw what happened the other day. "

"Emma, I promise you I won't let anything, anything happen to you. I'll always be there and I'll kick as many bad guys sorry asses as needed in order to keep my promise."

"Even if I decided to stay, Adam would probably want me to stay behind while I learn to master my powers, right?"

"Maybe, but you don't know..."

Emma cut him off.

"And how do you think I'd feel while you guys were out there, facing God knows what,  unable to help you or not knowing what was going on?", she asked him with tears in her eyes. 'Not knowing if YOU were okay' she added in her mind.

Brennan could hear the despair in her voice. He decided it was time to play his last card. And if that didn't work…

"Tell you what", he suggested. "Why don't you consider this just like any new job?"

Puzzled, she stared at him. "Like any new job? Are you out of your mind?"

"Let me finish", he insisted. "Like I said, consider this like any new job. You know how when you start a new job they usually give you a period to adapt, something like three months or so? Then they review your work and decide wether they are gonna keep you or not?"

Emma nodded.

"Well why don't you just do that? Give them.. I mean us.. a trial period. Then you can decide wether or not you're gonna keep us in your life. That way at least Adam would be able to help you learn more about your powers. "

Looking into her eyes, Brennan mentally crossed his fingers. This was his only chance to keep it all. If she refused, he'd have to decide between the Mutant X team or following her. 

"Three months?", she asked him.

He smiled. "Three months. And if you decide to leave after it, then we'll take it from there."

'We?', she asked herself. 'Does he mean..?'

Smiling back at him, she knew she had changed her mind. "Alright then… three months then we'll take it from there."

Brennan lifted her hands and kissed her fingers softly before standing up. "Welcome to Mutant X. Should we go tell the others? I think Adam is still in the lab."

'And I hope he won't ruin this second chance he's got now', he thought as they walked out of the room.

* * * * * 

I just want to take a moment to thank you all for the great reviews I've received so far. I'm going to do my best to keep updating this story as fast as I can, but working full time might make it a bit harder at times, so I hope you'll understand.  –  Amazon-Orithia


	4. And take everything as it comes for toda...

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction is   from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song. The title of this chapter is from the song "Don't Go" by Keith Urban on his 1991 Australian CD 'Keith Urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song as well.

* * * * *

Chapter 4

And take everything as it comes for today is the first day of the rest of your life

Yawning loudly, Jesse walked out of his bedroom rubbing his sleepy eyes. That's when he saw something he had never thought possible: Shalimar was up, getting out of her own room and it wasn't even 7:30 a.m.! Lifting his hand, he shook his watch next to his ear. No, it was working fine and it really was that early.

"Huh Shal, everything okay?" he asked the blond woman, noticing the tired look on her face.

She smiled weakly. "Yeah, just didn't get much sleep that's all."

"You too, huh? Well, I knew there had to be a reason for you to be up this early", he added with a grin. Teasing the feral before breakfast was a dangerous thing but he could feel the tension in the air and had to do something about it. 

Just as he finished his sentence, a loud growling noise came from his own stomach and Shalimar burst out laughing.

"Yep, and I can hear yours loud and clear.", she said.  Taking the young molecular's arm, she pulled him gently. "Come on, let's get you something to eat before you wake everyone up."

Letting out a sigh, Jesse followed her. "This isn't gonna be a fun day."

"I know, especially for Adam," she replied sadly. 

"Why won't he just tell her?" he asked. "If I were him, I would have done it the minute I found out."

Shalimar shook her head. "It's his decision, Jess, and we have to trust him that it's for the best."

Stopping, Jesse turned to look at her. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

"Yes," she sighed. "It was hard enough for him when he found out about Sheila, I'm afraid this time around he won't be able to handle it. He's gonna need us more than ever after Emma leaves."

Jesse nodded as they made their way toward the kitchen. He remembered how devastated Adam had been a year ago, how he had locked himself up in the lab for days, without eating or sleeping, searching frantically every database the Sanctuary computers held.  'Shal's right,' he thought, 'Adam's gonna need us now more than he ever did.'

"Adam??" 

Shalimar's voice brought him back to reality and he froze at the kitchen doorstep. 'Oh my god, he's lost it already' he panicked. Adam was standing by the stove plaque, wearing that silly flowered apron Jesse had given Shalimar as a joke a couple of months ago. 

"Good morning!", Adam told them with a big smile. "You two sit down, breakfast will be ready in a minute."

Shalimar being up that early was already a shock, but seeing Adam cooking breakfast was even more unbelievable. He usually just settled for a cup of coffee he would sip while working at his computer. Exchanging a concerned look, the two young mutants sat down then kept starring at him in silence.

"What, what's wrong? Do I have flour on my nose?", joked their mentor as he returned his attention to the frying pan.

'He's definitly lost it', they both thought at the same time.

"Huh Adam, is everything okay?", asked Shalimar with concern in her eyes.

"Of course, why wouldn't things be okay?" he asked her back with the same joyful tone of voice he had greeted them with.

"Well…", started Shalimar, unable to finish her thought.

Uneasy, Jesse looked at the table. "Well, you cooking breakfast is kind of unusual, ya know.." 

Adam laughed as he brought them their plates. "I agree this isn't exactly my style of clothing", he said, referring to the apron. "But today is a special day and I wanted to start it in a special way. "

Shalimar put her hand on his arm. "Adam, you don't have to pretend in front of Jesse and I", she told him softly.

Adam simply smiled at them with twinkles in his eyes and went back to the stove. Jesse and Shalimar looked at each other again and Shalimar mouthed  'What's going on?'.  Jesse shrugged his shoulders.

"Good morning guys', said Brennan as he walked into the room. "Hey it smells good in here," he added as he sat down beside Jesse.

"Good morning Brennan', answered Adam. "Do you know if Emma is up yet?", he asked as he brought him his plate.

"Thanks… I think she's on her way', answered Brennan with a wink that brought a bigger smile on Adam's face. 

'Okay, there IS something going on here', thought Jesse.

"Say, this looks really good. If this is the usual breakfast around here, I should have joined years ago", added Brennan with a grin.

Shalimar and Adam laughed. "Hey Jess, looks like you've got competition now when it comes to eating", she said.

"Funny, very funny', grinned Jesse.

"What's so funny? I could hear you guys laughing from my room", asked a woman's voice behind them.

All heads turned toward the door. Emma was dressed in a black skirt and a light blue tank top that made her eyes even brighter than they normally were, her hair flowing loose around her face.  'God she's beautiful', thought Brennan. Feeling his thoughts, Emma smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

Adam looked at her, then at Brennan and smiled. "Good morning Emma, how did you sleep?", he asked.

Before Emma could reply, Shalimar had jumped out of her seat and was hugging Emma so tightly the young telempath could barely breathe.

"EMMA!!! Oh my God, you've decided to stay!!", she exclaimed, holding up Emma's right hand. There it was, the comlink ring Emma had refused the night before. "Why didn't you tell us, Adam?"

Laughing, Emma tried to pull herself free from the feral's embrace. "It's my fault, I asked him not to. I wanted to tell you guys myself."

Jesse stood up, walked to the two women and hugged them both at the same time. "Wow! I'm so glad you're staying" , he said. 

"What made you changed your mind?!", he asked  with a quick glance in Adam's direction, the unspoken question clear in his eyes. Adam shook his head slightly. Shalimar saw this brief exchange. 'Oh, he didn't tell her..' 

Not noticing what had just happened between the three of them, Emma smiled at her new friends. "Let's just say someone convinced me in giving you guys a trial period." At this, Brennan started laughing.

"Huh?" Shal and Jesse just looked at them, confused.

"Come on guys, let Emma sit down and have something to eat. Otherwise, she might very well give you two some bad ratings in her review", grinned Brennan.

Emma laughed and went to sit at the table, leaving the two mutants wondering what they had missed. But the happy look on Adam's face told them there was nothing to worry about, at least for now.

* * * * *


	5. You can make it through if you believe t...

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction is  from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song. The title of this chapter is from the song 'You're Not Alone Tonight' by Keith Urban from his 2002 US CD 'Golden Road' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song as well.

* * * * *

Chapter 5 

You can make it through if you believe that someone's watchin' over you

The solid hologram in front of Brennan disappeared as Jesse turned off the simulator with a heavy sigh.  Adam had asked him at breakfast to put together a training program for his new teammate and so far, Brennan had managed to defeat each and every fighting simulation he could think of.

"Man, I don't see why Adam wanted me to train you," he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, what do you know.. I'm a fast learner", replied Brennan as he picked up his towel on the floor.

Adam's voice coming through the intercom interrupted the two young men.  "Brennan, I need to see you in the lab."

"Coming," answered Brennan, before turning back to Jesse. "Here's your chance to find a simulation that will not be for kindergarten kids", he said with a grin before jumping off the flight of stairs.

"Show off!", mumbled Jesse under his breath as he turned his attention back to the console in front of him. "Kindergarten level my foot.. though I must admit he's handling himself in battle much better than any of us could have guessed. Good thing he's on our side…"

* * * * *

As he made his way toward the lab, Brennan walked by the water garden where Emma was working with Shalimar on some relaxation and concentration technique as Adam had suggested to her that morning. Standing out of sight, he decided to watch the two women for a while and couldn't help but play the comparison game. 

Tall, athletic, stunningly beautiful and incredibly sexy, Shalimar was Emma's exact opposite. Of course he would be lying if he said he wasn't attracted to her, any man in his right mind would be. But even if she was all that a man could dream of, in his eyes  Shalimar couldn't hold the comparison with Emma.  There was such a sweet innocence, a true sense of caring in the young brunette that Brennan secretly called her his delicate desert flower. He also felt this irresistible need to keep her close to him at all time, and to beat the hell out of anyone who would as much as be rude to her. 

'Woah, since when have I developed the "knight-in-shinning-armor" persona?', he asked himself, shaking his head. His face softened even more as he saw the young woman trying her best to follow Shal's lead in some complex tai-chi movements. 'She's gonna make it, no matter what the others might think I know she will make it. It may take her longer than the rest of us but in time and with all of our help,  I know her powers and inner personality will make her the most valuable member of this team.' 

Blowing a silent kiss to the telempath, Brennan left the water garden area in direction of Adam's lab.

* * * * *

Emma had felt Brennan's presence but hadn't let it distract her. Shalimar's routine was so difficult to follow that it was taking her concentration. Still, she was smiling in her mind. This wasn't as bad as she had expected it to be when she had agreed to give it a try about a week ago.

Shalimar and Jesse seemed to be truly happy that she had decided to stay for a while. Especially Shalimar who had turned into the best friend she could have asked her and Emma found herself considering the tall feral as the sister she never had.  Brennan was always within a whisper distance and Adam was the first to wish her 'Good morning' in the kitchen area where he now took every breakfast.  

When she wasn't working with Shal,  Emma spent most of her time in Adam's lab, helping him and learning a great deal about genetic and bio-chemistry. 'It funny how I never really liked any of those subjects in school. But with Adam it's different, he's …'

"Ouch!" she cried, holding her back. She had let her thoughts take over her mind and had made a wrong movement. Shalimar turned to her.

"Okay, I think it's enough for now. Does it hurt much?" she asked with concern in her voice.

Emma smiled weakly. "Nah, just a bad move. I wasn't concentrating enough I guess", she added sheepishly.

"Em, you have gotta learn to not let yourself be distracted so easily", Shalimar sighed. "What was it this time, Brennan?" she asked with a little smile. Emma's face went red.

"No, not at all!"

Shalimar laughed at her friend's hasty reply. She didn't need to be a psionic to know there was something happening between their two new teammates, even though neither of them had made any move...yet.

 "Awe come on girl, you can tell me. I won't tell a soul."

"If you have to know, I was thinking about Adam", said Emma as she sat down carefully.

Shalimar frowned. "Adam?" 

Emma felt the uneasiness in Shalimar's voice. 'What is it with everyone freaking out whenever Adam is brought up in a conversation?', she wondered. 'They act normally when he's around, but if his name in mentioned when he's not, they are all walking on egg shells.'

"Yeah," she said out loud. "At first I thought Adam didn't like me much.."

"Oh Emma, that not true", interrupted Shalimar as she sat down next to her. "Adam thinks very highly of you and if he might seem hard sometimes it's because he cares."

Emma smiled. "I know, I can feel how much he cares for all of us. I'm an empath, remember?"  Both women laughed.

"Seriously, I was just thinking about how it's easy for me to work with him in the lab. You know, in school I hated with a passion anything that had to do with science and could barely pass my classes. But now with Adam, everything is so simple. It's strange but at the same time it feels 'normal'. Does it make any sense to you?"

"Maybe it's because Adam is a good teacher with a very receptive student?", Shalimar replied with a wink.

Emma laughed. "It could be, who knows?"  She felt all the previous tension leaving Shalimar's mind as the feral woman stood up.

"Okay, break is over. Get up."

"Oh Shal… five more minutes, please?", whined the young brunette.

* * * * *

The scanner's ray returned to Brennan's forehead.

"End scan", said Adam and the ray vanished. 

"So, how am I doing?", asked Brennan. 

Adam looked at the monitor for a few seconds before replying.

"You're in perfect physical shape. How are the training sessions going? Do you feel anything strange whenever you use your power? Or after? Any headache, numb feeling?"

Brennan shook his head. "No sir, all is perfectly fine… well except for the fact that Jesse can't come up with tougher simulations."

Adam smiled. "Oh I wouldn't worry about that, Jesse can be very creative when challenged."

Brennan laughed as he got dressed. "Yeah, I had gotten the feeling he doesn't like competition much."

"Brennan, you've got to understand that this is an adjustment period for Jesse as well. Up until a week ago he was the only man around.. well except for me but I am not a mutant and I've always been here, I recruited him. He's not a bad kid, just give him some time."

Brennan turned to him. "Yeah maybe… but isn't it the same for Shalimar? I mean, she doesn't seem to feel any competition coming from Emma", he wondered.

"No, it's different for Shalimar.  You see, her feral DNA makes her very protective by nature and gives her a very strong maternal side. She simply 'adopted' Emma",  replied Adam. "Besides, I think she's not the only one here who developed a strong protective feeling when it comes to Emma, am I right?", he added with a little smile.

Brennan remained silent, not knowing how Adam would take his feelings towards the telempath. After all, maybe it was against the rules to be dating within the team. This was one of the reasons he had not taken his relationship with Emma any further than a very deep friendship. 

Adam walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Just be careful not to hurt her, okay?", he said slowly while looking straight at him.

Brennan nodded, knowing exactly what the other man meant. Adam smiled and returned to the console,  then came back with a syringe.

"Now," he said, "Sit down and stay calm."

Brennan shivered at the sight on the syringe. He hated those things.  

"Huh Adam, is this necessary?", he asked. 

"Yes, I need to build a blood bank for you, in case you get hurt during a mission. You see, with all of your unique DNA in this team, I can not risk mixing them during a transfusion. There is no telling what might happen if I did. Now sit down and relax."

Brennan did as he was told. 'God I hate those things', he thought as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, preparing for the sharp sting.

* * * * *

Author's note: I realize this might seem like a slow story to some of you but I have to re-write history sort to speak, so I wanna make sure the characters are established in the way I need them in order to develop this story in the direction I want it to go. Please bear with me, I promise you'll see some action soon.


	6. And don't say it's present when it's all...

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction is   from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song. The title of this chapter is from the song "Don't Go" by Keith Urban on his 1991 Australian CD 'Keith Urban' so copyrights apply to whoever owns them for that song as well.

* * * * *

**Chapter 6**

**"And don't say it's present when it's all in the past"**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _Italics_ are relating events from the past.

"But Mr. Eckhart, sir, I… aaawh!"

The pain irradiated again through his entire body and the man couldn't stand it anymore, fainting before his body hit the floor heavily. 

"Apologies not accepted, Mr. Dunlop", said the white haired man. "I had told you not to fail me again in locating the whereabouts of Miss DeLauro." 

Turning away with disgust, Mason Eckhart walked up to look through the glass wall behind his desk. "Make sure he is 'disposed of' properly", he added to the two guards at the door. 

"Right away, Sir", one man said as they picked up the unconscious man and walked out. 

Hands locked behind his back, Eckhart kept looking down to the stasis pods station, lost in his thoughts.

'Where are you hiding her now, Adam? It doesn't matter as I will find her again and this time, she will not be denied her destiny.'

Turning around, he reached for a small picture frame hidden in the top drawer of his desk. Even after all those years, one single look at those blue eyes still caused the old pain to resurface. And although the colors had faded with the years, the blue of her eyes still held the same power over him. She had been his other half, that other half keeping his insanity in check, the only one he would allow to stand up to him without consequences. The one who had betrayed him…

* * * * *

_It was early in the morning and Dr.Adam Kane was already up and at his work station in the Genomex lab. The solution had to be in this last genetic strand, he thought to himself. All week long both him and Mason Eckhart had been trying to find out just why the new genetic code would not remain stable. And once they would isolate the wrong component to the vaccine, they would be able to counteract these strange side effects he had noticed earlier. Now if only Mason wouldn't be such a late sleeper, they could get this done much faster. _

_On the other hand, Adam felt more confident without his friend's constant interruptions. Mason was undoubtedly bright and intelligent but he was no scientist and sometimes it would take Adam a full day of work to reverse some of his wrong doings. But if it hadn't been for Mason, Adam would never have had the opportunity to pursue his research..among other things. Shaking his head, Dr. Kane returned to his DNA testings, wishing the Genomex board had waited for his work to be completed before experimenting on human beings. With these unpredictable side effects, the pressure was even greater on him. _

_Suddenly, the door to his lab slid open and Mason rushed in, carrying a young woman in his arms. _

_"Adam!! You have got to help her!", he urged him as he carefully put her down on the lab's table. _

_"Oh my… what happened?", asked Adam as he reached for her wrist to check on her pulse._

_Eckhart ran his hands nervously through his hair._

_"I don't know, Adam. We were on our way over here when she suddenly screamed, grabbing her head like it was killing her. Before I could do anything, she fainted. She seemed perfectly fine moments before."_

_While listening to his explanations, Adam had placed sensors on her temples and was checking her vital signs._

_"Her pulse is way too fast and her brain activity is running off the chart. We have to stabilize her before her heart fails."_

_….._

_Hours later, Adam was sitting at his desk, stunned with the results the woman's blood tests had shown. Her DNA was rapidly evolving, getting to a state explainable only by.. _

_"It's impossible", he said out loud. "It can't be. She was never a subject to those tests, Mason would not have allowed it. And neither would I. But how? Unless.."_

_After a few minutes spent researching desperately the young woman's medical file in the Genomex database, Adam reached for the intercom. _

_"Mason, you better come down here, I've got something to show you", he said as he looked back into the lab's direction where the young woman's condition was barely stable. _

_He couldn't stop tears from running down his cheeks. 'It's all my fault..'_

_….._

_"How can it be?", yelled Eckhart. "She was not to be part of this experiment."_

_"Look, how many times do I have to tell you that I've got NOTHING to do with it", Adam snapped back._

_"But the results are there, aren't they? You're telling me that she is  in the same state  as those..  those …guinea pigs over there!"_

_"Look, I am the last person on this planet who would have wanted this to happen to her. All I know is that somehow she has been administered the vaccine before its completion. When this happened, I have no clue."_

_Eckhart slowly walked in Adam's direction, his fists clenched._

_"I knew you would be troubles the minute you came to work here. And right now,  I am pretty damn sure you are not telling me the entire truth." Lowering his voice, he added: "I swear to God, Adam Kane, if she dies and I find out that you had anything to do with it, I will become your worst enemy."_

_Adam managed to keep his face straight and simply looked right back at him._

_….._

_Silence. All around him was nothing but silence. All the other scientists had retired to their quarters for the night, but Adam could not leave her side. In the past hour, her pulse had been so erratic that he knew the end was near. He had lied to Mason, assuring  him she was slowly getting better. He had no choice, he needed whatever little time he could buy for come morning she would be gone. And there was so much to do until the break of day. _

_Taking her soft hand in his, he held it against his cheek._

_"I am so sorry, Maria. It's all my fault," he sobbed quietly._

_The young woman's eyes opened  at the sound of his voice. _

_"No, it's not, you couldn't have known," she whispered softly. "I was in pain, the pregnancy was hard and there was no other way to save the baby. You did what you had to do and…" _

_Her voice was lost in a coughing fit. At the sight of blood dripping from her lips, Adam's heart sank. No matter what she said, it was still his fault. He caressed her face and she smiled weakly._

_"Brianna..promise me you will...", she began before another coughing fit stopped her._

_Leaning closer, Adam looked deep into her eyes. They were of the same blue than those of the 2 years old little girl asleep in a room deep within the Genomex Center. _

_"Don't worry about Brianna, I'll watch over her," he reassured her._

_"No!", she cried, grabbing his arm with all the strength she had left in her. "You must… send her away..don't let Mason… he still doesn't know.. and he  can't find out  about what she might become later.."_

_Her life abandoning her, she looked at Adam one last time, mouthing the words 'Promise me'._

_Unable to hold back his tears any longer, Adam softly kissed her eyes closed. "I promise you, Maria. I won't let anything happen to her." _

* * * * *


	7. And when it gets dark you can reach out ...

If You Wanna Stay 

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction is from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban'. The title of this chapter is from the song 'Your Everything' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban'.  Copyrights apply to whoever owns them for these song.

* * * * *

**Chapter 7**

**"And when it gets dark you can reach out for me"**

Emma looked at her reflection in the mirror. 

"Huh Shal, are you sure this isn't a bit.. too much?", she asked while straightening her skirt for the tenth time in less than five minutes.

The tall blond woman came up behind her, and smoothed her young friend's hair.

"No, this is absolutely perfect. You my dear will break hearts tonight! Next to you I'll look like an old hag. Now turn around and let me see your face."

Emma turned and stood still while Shalimar applied the final touch to her make up. She wasn't used to being pampered by someone else. She had to admit though, Shalimar really knew how to make her look her best.  The short black dress, although a bit too tight for her liking, really made her look sexy and revealed maybe a bit much but still without making her look vulgar. 

"Oh Shal, stop talking like that, you look stunning", she told her friend. Dresses weren't exactly the feral style so she had opted for black leather pants, completed with a silver  sleeveless top. Her boots made her legs look even longer and slender than usual. Yes, the blond woman was stunning.

Shalimar took a step back to look at her and smiled. 

"There, all done and ready to have some fun. My little finger tells me that Brennan is gonna have a hard time keeping all the other men away from you tonight", she added with a grin.

"SHAL!!" exclaimed the young brunette, turning red.

"What?", asked innocently her friend, laughing. "Come on Em, I don't think Brennan had his heart set on dancing all night with Jessie when he suggested we all go out tonight so _you_ could relax after a hard week of training."

Emma couldn't help but giggle. "Who knows, maybe that's it."

Rolling her eyes, Shalimar pushed her out of the bedroom. "You are impossible, you know that?"

The guys were waiting for them in the rec room and gave them an appreciative glance the minute they walked in.

"Hmm…Is that the best you could do after 2 hours of pampering?", Jessie teased them. Shalimar punched him playfully on the side.

"Well, no but we thought it'd be good enough for the likes of you", she replied with a wink to Emma.

"In that case, if you ladies will still allow the likes of us to escort you tonight, I think we'd best be on our way before the club gets packed", said Brennan with a ceremonious bow and a grinning smile that got everyone laughing so hard they didn't notice Adam entering the room.

"I see the party has already begun", he commented with a smile.  "And you ladies are looking beautiful…..ah if only I was 20 years younger..You all have a good time tonight, you deserve it", he added with a touch of pride in his voice.

Then turning to Emma, his expression became serious. He gently took her by the shoulders and looked deeply in her eyes.

"Emma, this will be the first time you go out in a crowded public place since you started working on opening yourself to your powers.  I want you to be very careful and to remember the barrier technic we've worked on this week. Any overload of emotions at this stage of your learning process could be dangerous, you understand?"

Emma nodded silently and gave him a little smile. She could feel the genuine concern in his voice and was touched by it. He wasn't just their team leader, he truly cared for them, she told herself once again. Adam smiled back at her and kissed her cheek softly. 

"Now you better leave", he said to the group.

Walking up to Emma, Brennan took her by the waist and swirled her toward the door while Jessie offered his arm to Shalimar.

"You don't worry, sir, we promise to have these ladies back home before midnight", said Brennan over his shoulder.

"Midnight??", exclaimed both Shalimar and Emma at the same time.

"Alright, if you ladies insist…12:15 a.m. then", replied Jessie, laughing as he led the blond woman out of the room.

Adam stood there for a while, looking with sadness in his eyes in the direction where they had left. "She looks so much like her mother," he whispered to himself.

* * * * *

Brennan had been right in insisting they get to the club early. In less than an hour after their arrival, the place was already so crowded they could barely walk. Emma had been surprised and worried when she recognized the place: it was the same club where it had all begun, where the GSA agents had chased her down, where she had also seen him for the first time. That last thought was enough to chase away her uneasy feeling and she had soon found herself enjoying the evening.

'I wonder if he thought about it', she asked herself as she looked at the tall man at her side. He was by far the most attractive man in the club tonight and many women had already made their appreciation known to him. However, he had kindly but firmly declined every invitation with a smile and stayed with her at the table.

Shalimar and Jessie had left them alone not long after they had arrived. Looking over to the dance floor, Emma noticed Shalimar dancing with some tall dark haired guy. However, Jessie was no where in sight. 'He's probably somewhere sweet talking a girl.' That thought made her giggle and Brennan gave her a puzzled look. She smiled at him over her glass. 

"Wanna dance?", he asked her with a smile.

"Sure", she answered, accepting his hand. He led her through the crowd and she found it harder to not let her mental defenses down. All sort of emotions were shouting to her from the crowd: shyness, desire, happiness, hurt, lust...  Maybe she shouldn't have had that drink after all, she thought. 

She closed her eyes briefly and tightened her grip on Brennan's hand as she worked on getting her mental blockade back up. He gave her a concerned look and bent closer to her.

"Hey, everything okay?",  he asked in her ear.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. He smiled and took her in his arms, holding her close and gently rubbed her back.  "Remember I promised not to let anything happened to you, okay? I doubt the GSA will think we'd be fools enough to come back here", he told her as he looked deeply into her eyes.

'He remembered! Maybe Shalimar was right after all', she thought with a smile. 

'God if she smiles at me like this one more time …' , thought Brennan.

But it was already too late, both of them had completely forgotten about rest of the world that surrounded them. Their hearts were beating the same rhythm and their eyes were telling each other what their voice had never said. Brennan gently took Emma's face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks lightly. Her hands slowly made their way up his sides then across his chest in a tender caress. He softly brushed her lips with his, never breaking their eye contact. A soft moan escaped her, demanding more. But he kept on teasing her, covering her face with butterfly kisses that made her tremble in his arms. 

"Brennan…", she pleaded in a whisper. 

"I will never let anyone hurt you", he promised her again, before kissing her deeply.  

Her mind raced as she lost herself in the sweetness of his kiss, responding to it with a passion she had never thought possible, pulling him close against her. His hands caressed her lower back, pressing her body tightly against his.  Their souls called to each other, entangled in the greatest feeling none of them had ever felt before.  

Suddenly, a swirl of darkness entered her mind and she let go of him, a scream dying on her lips before it was heard. She grabbed Brennan's arm, her nails digging into his skin.  Pain, anger, hurt, distress, fear, rage, panic… all these emotions were taking over her mind and she could not stop them. She looked around in despair, and she immediately  knew the cause: a fight had broken at the far back of the club. 

"EMMA!!" Brennan barely had the time to catch her as she lost consciousness.

* * * * *

Author's note : Thank you all for the great reviews so far. Keep on reading, as you should never judge a book by its cover… or a plot by the hints given by the author… hehe!


	8. Stand beside you through it all

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction is from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban'. The title for this chapter is from the song 'You're The Only One' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban'. So copyrights for these songs apply to whoever owns them.

Chapter 8 Stand beside you through it all 

Holding an unconscious Emma against his chest, Brennan looked around francticly. 

"Damn you Eckart!", he yelled as he realized the club was filing up with GSA agents. 

Obviously, he had been wrong about them not thinking  Mutant X would come back here.  Already, Shalimar and Jesse had to deal with more than what they had bargained for they all  set out for a night of fun into town.  And the worse part of it was that neither of them could use their powers in this crowded public place. 

But first thing first, he needed to take Emma out of harm's way. Cursing once more, Brennan carefully picked up Emma in his arms. As he turned to leave the club, he found himself facing two of Eckart's goons who clearly were not up for a nice chit-chat. Retreating slowly, Brennan tried to think what to do next. 

'Now would be a good time to come around, Em..', he thought. But a quick look at the young woman in his arms told him her situation was serious.

"SHAL!! JESSE!! We need to get out of here and fast!!", he yelled , alarmed at the sight of Emma's bleeding nose. 

"Wouldn't mind but we're kind of busy right now, Bren… and your help would be appreciated man", replied Jesse while sending his opponent to the floor with a powered punch. Looking up in Brennan's direction, he realized his teammate had troubles of his own with the GSA. 

Adam's  voice came through their comlinks. 

"Brennan, what's going on?"

"Adam, send the double-helix and fast! The GSA is all over the place and Emma is hurt."

Adam's heart sank as he heard these words. 

"You all need to get out of there, we can not risk exposing ourselves. I'll be in the alley behind the club." 

"Shal! Come on!!", yelled Jesse to the feral woman as he ran to help Brennan fend off Eckart's men.  Blond hair twirling around her face, Shalimar kicked the man she was fighting into the wall. Seeing her young friend was hurt, her feral DNA took over and in two giant leaps she was by her friends side, eyes flashing gold. The crowd, already troubled and upset by the fight, gasped in shock and panic took over as people started running in every direction.

"If I were you, I'd follow us as quietly as possible", said the man who obviously was in charge of the twenty plus men surrounding the young mutants.

"When hell freezes we will", snapped back Shalimar with a growl, as Jesse and her slowly circled  around Brennan and Emma to protect them

As on cue, the GSA agents launched themselves at the group. Still holding Emma in his arms, Brennan options were limited. Still, he managed to kick off one of their attackers into the bar.  Massing up, Jesse knocked out two of them  while Shalimar upward kick sent another one flying through the air. But it seems as though the more agents they got rid of, twice as many joined the fight.

"Brennan, look out!", yelled Shalimar.  Her warning came too late. Brennan collapsed on the floor, in pain from an electrical bolt. Quick as a flash, the man in charge of the GSA squad was by him and took Emma. 

"Nooo! Emma..", moaned Brennan, trying to hold on to her. A solid blow in the chin made him lose his grip.

"We got her, let's go", ordered the man. 

Jesse and Shalimar tried to stop them, but they were outnumbered. Helpless, they witnessed one of their own being taken away.

* * * * *

Back at the Sanctuary, Brennan was sitting in the medical chair, holding his head in his hands. The woman he loved was hurt, lying unconscious somehwere deep within the Genomex Complex. In Brennan's mind, it was clear that Adam held him responsible for what happened. He had not told him one word that was unnecessary since they boarded the Double-Helix. And he was right to blame him, although Brennan hadn't told him about the kiss.  Now that they were back at the Sanctuary, he realized their kiss had caused Emma to let down her defenses and made her vulnerable. And this, only moments after he had promised he'd let no one hurt her… And now, Emma was in Eckart's hands.

A hand touched his shoulder lightly. "Hey, it's not your fault."  Brennan didn't look up to Shalimar. He couldn't face her. 

"Look Brennan, I know you think it is but it's not", she said gently.

"I failed her, I could not protect her", he said, still not looking up.

"In that case, we are all to blame, not just you", she sighed.

"You don't understand, don't you?!", Brennan snapped as he lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes. "I kissed her, I caused her to lower her guards and she was helpless  and got hurt because of me.. and now, BECAUSE OF ME,  Eckart has her and we don't even know if she's okay or if…"

His voice broke off as he couldn't bring himself to finish his thought. In his mind, all he could see was the sight of Emma in one of the stasis pods as Genomex.  

Entering the lab, Adam looked at him sternly.

"We will get her back, Brennan. I did not spend the last 15 years looking for her to lose her again…Now lay down and stay still so we can complete your treatment."

* * * * *

Cold. It was so cold. Where was she? In the med lab? Emma couldn't tell. Her head was killing her and the simple thought of opening her eyes made her stomach sick. What happened? All she could remember was being at the club with the others and.. A lashing pain flew through her brain as she started to remember.. The club, the GSA, Brennan..!

Her eyes snapped opened, and she had to fight the dizziness that took over her. When she was finally able to focus again, the face looking at her was not Adam's.

"Well, welcome back home, Miss DeLauro."

* * * * *

AUTHOR NOTE: Sorry it's been such a long while since I last updated. I plan on finishing this fanfic as soon as possible, but with the crazy schedule I've got at work, it may very well take a while. For the moment, here is Chapter 8.. please R&R.  Thanks… Amazon Orithia


	9. ‘Maybe this could be the start of someth...

If You Wanna Stay

**Summary:** What if the comlink rings ceremony didn't go as it did? (I guess that makes it A/U, right?)

**Couple:** Emma / Brennan, Emma / Adam (not romantic)

**Rating:** PG-13

**Disclaimer:** MUTANT X is copyright 2001, Tribune Entertainment Co. So the characters do not belong to me. Also, I am not making any money out of this story, I'm just giving the Emma / Brennan fans out there a little more to feed on.   The title of this fan fiction is  from the song 'If You Wanna Stay' by Keith Urban on his 1999 US debut CD 'keith urban'. The title of this chapter is from the song 'Blue Stranger' by Keith Urban on his 1991 self-titled australian CD. So copyrights apply to whoever owns them for these songs..

* * * * *

Chapter 9 

**'Maybe this could be the start of something new…  
I'm a blue stranger too'**

"Eckhart ..", whispered Emma, closing her eyes briefly. "Sorry to disappoint you but Genomex isn't exactly what I would call 'home'."

Mason Eckhart  grinned at the remark. "Oh but in time you will, trust me. But first, we need to tend to your wounds, otherwise you won't be able to.. how shall I say..  enjoy the comfort of our facilities." 

"I am quite sure I can live without that, thank you", replied Emma as she tried to sit up. The doctor standing next to Eckhart  quickly but gently pushed her back down. 

"You have suffer a severe cerebral trauma, Miss..err.. DeLauro..." The man paused, briefly looking over his shoulder to Eckhart . "It wouldn't be wise to sit up just yet", he added.

"Ah yes, better listen to the doctor's orders, Miss 'DeLauro' ", agreed Eckhart . "Tomorrow morning if all goes well you should be transferred to your personal quarters."

"What kind of games are you playing, Eckhart ? I'll never join you or betray my friends.. ", replied Emma with disgust in her eyes. "Which part of 'Thanks but no thanks' have you not understood?"

'She is as beautiful as her mother was..', he thought as he witnessed the shift of emotions running through her tired but bright blue eyes.

Looking straight back into her eyes, Eckhart did not let any emotion show through his. "I have learned not to take into consideration any decision that have been taken without knowing all the facts related to the situation."

With these words he walked out of the room, leaving the young woman wondering about what he meant.

* * * * * 

"Are you sure you've looked through all their databases, Jesse? She has to be somewhere!"

"Brennan, will you stop pacing around like a lion in a cage, please!", replied Jesse. For the past hour, Brennan had been driving him crazy. Of course he could understand why for he was worried about Emma too. But he knew it was different for Brennan.

"Look, I've searched everywhere. It's like she has never set foot into the Genomex Complex. In a way, it's good news..", he added.

Stopping in front of his friend, Brennan ran a hand through is already messed up dark hair. "Good news? What do you mean, good news?"

"I mean that they did not put her into stasis yet.."

"Eckhart will never put Emma into stasis, Jesse, we can be sure of that", said Adam as he and Shalimar entered the room. 

"But that doesn't mean it is good news either. I know Eckhart, he will not stop until he gets his revenge, even is he has to destroy the only person in the world he truly cares about."

Hearing this, Brennan's gaze dropped to the floor as he let out a sigh. "Adam.. I'm really sorry… it's all my fault.. if you want me to leave Mutant X, I'd understand."

Adam walked to the young man silently then put a hand on his shoulder. "Brennan, it's not your fault. If anyone's, it's mine. I should have told Emma the truth right away. I thought I could protect her by hiding it all from her. I was wrong. She needs you now more than ever."

"But.."

"Brennan,  if I am right about Eckhart's plan, you are the only person who will be able to reach through to her when we find Emma."

* * * * *

"Are you sure?", asked Eckhart.

"Yes Sir, Miss DeLauro's powers were not affected. Although not entirely perfect, the  mental shield technic she used back at the club prevented any permanent damages to her brain. In a few days, once she will have completely recovered, a subdermal governor.."

"That measure won't be necessary by then, Dr. Mayers", said Eckhart, dismissing him with a hand gesture.

Nodding, the doctor left the room as two guards entered. 

"The entire squad has been re-programmed, Mr. Eckhart", said the shorter guard.

"Good", replied Eckhart  without even looking at them. "And their leader?"

"He's been terminated, as per your orders, Sir", asnwered the taller man.

"Excellent. I put both of you in charge of Miss DeLauro's personal security. At no moment should anyone other than Dr. Mayers or myself be in contact with her, is that clear?" 

Swallowing hard, both guards nodded.

* * * * *

Sitting on the medical table, Emma was thinking back to the events that had led to this day. More precisely, her thoughts were about that one kiss and how it had sent her mental shield into pieces. 

'Adam was right… again. One little distraction and I am as helpless as a newborn kitten... ' 

A smile crossed her lips as she thought back to the 'distraction' but vanished almost immediately. Earlier that day she had tried to contact her friends mentally but the pain had been too much for her to handle. If the others could not find her before it was too late…

The hissing of the lab door opening distracted her.

"Well Miss DeLauro, I just heard from the doctor and he said you are well enough to take a little walk outside this..",  Eckhart's gaze toured the med lab as he entered. "..this cold environment..."

Crossing her arms, Emma drew back as far from him as she could.

"I am fine here, thank you."

"This was not a question, Miss DeLauro, please follow me or I will have my men.. escort you to your new quarters." Leaning forward he added in a whisper: "And they might not be as nice a company as myself, might I add."

Looking at the door where the two guards were standing, Emma realized she didn't have much of a choice.

* * * * * 

"Adam, what did you mean by 'Eckhart's plan'?", whispered Shalimar while the two of them were getting the Double-Helix ready for take off.

Adam's eyes remained focused on the computer screen in front of him.

"Adam?", insisted Shalimar.

Taking a deep breath, Adam looked up to her. "If I am right, Eckhart will stop at nothing in his quest for vengeance… and lying being a second nature to him…"

Shalimar's eyes widened. "You don't think he's gonna go as far as..? "

The look on Adam's face was all the answer she needed to know her best friend was in more troubles than anyone could imagine.

* * * * *


End file.
